set forth these matters; but do not thou fear everything nor reckon
equally for everything: for if thou shouldest set thyself with regard to
all matters which come on at any time, to reckon for everything equally,
thou wouldest never perform any deed. It is better to have good courage
about everything and to suffer half the evils which threaten, than to
have fear beforehand about everything and not to suffer any evil at all:
and if, while contending against everything which is said, thou omit to
declare the course which is safe, thou dost incur in these matters the
reproach of failure equally with him who says the opposite to this. This
then, I say, is evenly balanced: but how should one who is but man know
the course which is safe? I think, in no way. To those then who choose
to act, for the most part gain is wont to come; but to those who reckon
for everything and shrink back, it is not much wont to come. Thou seest
the power of the Persians, to what great might it has advanced: if then
those who came to be kings before me had had opinions like to thine, or,
though not having such opinions, had had such counsellors as thou, thou
wouldest never have seen it brought forward to this point. As it is
however, by running risks they conducted it on to this: for great power
is in general gained by running great risks. We therefore, following
their example, are making our march now during the fairest season of the
year; and after we have subdued all Europe we shall return back home,
neither having met with famine anywhere nor having suffered any other
thing which is unpleasant. For first we march bearing with us ourselves
great store of food, and secondly we shall possess the corn-crops of all
the peoples to whose land and nation we come; and we are making a march
now against men who plough the soil, and not against nomad tribes."
51. After this Artabanos said: "O king, since thou dost urge us not to
have fear of anything, do thou I pray thee accept a counsel from me;
for when speaking of many things it is necessary to extend speech to a
greater length. Cyrus the son of Cambyses subdued all Ionia except the
Athenians, so that it was tributary to the Persians. These men therefore
I counsel thee by no means to lead against their parent stock, seeing
that even without these we are able to get the advantage over our
enemies. For supposing that they go with us, either they must prove
themselves doers of great wrong, if they join in reducing their mother
city to slavery, or doers of great right, if they join in freeing her:
now if they show themselves doers of great wrong, they bring us no
very large gain in addition; but if they show themselves doers of great
right, they are able then to cause much damage to thy army. Therefore
lay to heart also the ancient saying, how well it has been said that at
the first beginning of things the end does not completely appear."
52. To this Xerxes made answer: "Artabanos, of all the opinions which
thou hast uttered, thou art mistaken most of all in this; seeing that
thou fearest lest the Ionians should change side, about whom we have a
most sure proof, of which thou art a witness thyself and also the
rest are witnesses who went with Dareios on his march against the
Scythians,--namely this, that the whole Persian army then came to be
dependent upon these men, whether they would destroy or whether they
would save it, and they displayed righteous dealing and trustworthiness,
and nought at all that was unfriendly. Besides this, seeing that they
have left children and wives and wealth in our land, we must not even
imagine that they will make any rebellion. 50 Fear not then this thing
either, but have a good heart and keep safe my house and my government;
for to thee of all men I entrust my sceptre of rule."
53. Having thus spoken and having sent Artabanos back to Susa, next
Xerxes summoned to his presence the men of most repute among the
Persians, and when they were come before him, he spoke to them as
follows: "Persians, I assembled you together desiring this of you, that
ye should show yourselves good men and should not disgrace the deeds
done in former times by the Persians, which are great and glorious; but
let us each one of us by himself, and all together also, be zealous in
our enterprise; for this which we labour for is a common good for all.
And I exhort you that ye preserve in the war without relaxing your
efforts, because, as I am informed, we are marching against good men,
and if we shall overcome them, there will not be any other army of
men which will ever stand against us. Now therefore let us begin the
crossing, after having made prayer to those gods who have the Persians
51 for their allotted charge."
54. During this day then they were making preparation to cross over; and
on the next day they waited for the Sun, desiring to see him rise, and
in the meantime they offered all kinds of incense upon the bridges and
strewed the way with branches of myrtle. Then, as the Sun was rising,
Xerxes made libation from a golden cup into the sea, and prayed to the
Sun, that no accident might befall him such as should cause him to cease
from subduing Europe, until he had come to its furthest limits. After
having thus prayed he threw the cup into the Hellespont and with it a
golden mixing-bowl and a Persian sword, which they call akinakes: but
whether he cast them into the sea as an offering dedicated to the
Sun, or whether he had repented of his scourging of the Hellespont and
desired to present a gift to the sea as amends for this, I cannot for
certain say.
55. When Xerxes had done this, they proceeded to cross over, the whole
army both the footmen and the horsemen going by one bridge, namely that
which was on the side of the Pontus, while the baggage-animals and the
attendants went over the other, which was towards the Egean. First the
ten thousand Persians led the way, all with wreaths, and after them came
the mixed body of the army made up of all kinds of nations: these on
that day; and on the next day, first the horsemen and those who had
their spear-points turned downwards, these also wearing wreaths; and
after them the sacred horses and the sacred chariot, and then Xerxes
himself and the spear-bearers and the thousand horsemen; and after them
the rest of the army. In the meantime the ships also put out from shore
and went over to the opposite side. I have heard however another account
which says that the king crossed over the very last of all.
56. When Xerxes had crossed over into Europe, he gazed upon the army
crossing under the lash; and his army crossed over in seven days and
seven nights, going on continuously without any pause. Then, it is said,
after Xerxes had now crossed over the Hellespont, a man of that coast
exclaimed: "Why, O Zeus, in the likeness of a Persian man and taking for
thyself the name of Xerxes instead of Zeus, art thou proposing to
lay waste Hellas, taking with thee all the nations of men? for it was
possible for thee to do so even without the help of these."
57. When all had crossed over, after they had set forth on their way
a great portent appeared to them, of which Xerxes made no account,
although it was easy to conjecture its meaning,--a mare gave birth to a
hare. Now the meaning of this was easy to conjecture in this way, namely
that Xerxes was about to march an army against Hellas very proudly and
magnificently, but would come back again to the place whence he came,
running for his life. There happened also a portent of another kind
while he was still at Sardis,--a mule brought forth young and gave birth
to a mule which had organs of generation of two kinds, both those of the
male and those of the female, and those of the male were above. Xerxes
however made no account of either of these portents, but proceeded on
his way, and with him the land-army.
58. The fleet meanwhile was sailing out of the Hellespont and coasting
along, going in the opposite direction to the land-army; for the fleet
was sailing towards the West, making for the promontory of Sarpedon, to
which it had been ordered beforehand to go, and there wait for the army;
but the land-army meanwhile was making its march towards the East and
the sunrising, through the Chersonese, keeping on its right the tomb of
Helle the daughter of Athamas, and on its left the city of Cardia, and
marching through the midst of a town the name of which is Agora. 52
Thence bending round the gulf called Melas and having crossed over the
river Melas, the stream of which did not suffice at this time for the
army but failed,--having crossed, I say, this river, from which the gulf
also has its name, it went on Westwards, passing by Ainos a city of the
Aiolians, and by the lake Stentoris, until at last it came to Doriscos.
59. Now Doriscos is a sea-beach and plain of great extent in Thrace, and
through it flows the great river Hebros: here a royal fortress had been
built, the same which is now called Doriscos, and a garrison of Persians
had been established in it by Dareios, ever since the time when he went
on his march against the Scythians. It seemed then to Xerxes that the
place was convenient to order his army and to number it throughout, and
so he proceeded to do. The commanders of the ships at the bidding of
Xerxes had brought all their ships, when they arrived at Doriscos, up
to the sea-beach which adjoins Doriscos, on which there is situated
both Sale a city of the Samothrakians, and also Zone, and of which the
extreme point is the promontory of Serreion, which is well known; and
the region belonged in ancient time to the Kikonians. To this beach then
they had brought in their ships, and having drawn them up on land they
were letting them get dry: and during this time he proceeded to number
the army at Doriscos.
60. Now of the number which each separate nation supplied I am not able
to give certain information, for this is not reported by any persons;
but of the whole land-army taken together the number proved to be one
hundred and seventy myriads: 53 and they numbered them throughout in
the following manner:--they gathered together in one place a body of
ten thousand men, and packing them together 54 as closely as they could,
they drew a circle round outside: and thus having drawn a circle round
and having let the ten thousand men go from it, they built a wall of
rough stones round the circumference of the circle, rising to the height
of a man's navel. Having made this, they caused others to go into the
space which had been built round, until they had in this manner numbered
them all throughout: and after they had numbered them, they ordered them
separately by nations.
61. Now those who served were as follows:--The Persians with this
equipment:--about their heads they had soft 55 felt caps called tiaras,
and about their body tunics of various colours with sleeves, presenting
the appearance of iron scales like those of a fish, 56 and about the
legs trousers; and instead of the ordinary shields they had shields of
wicker-work, 57 under which hung quivers; and they had short spears and
large bows and arrows of reed, and moreover daggers hanging by the right
thigh from the girdle: and they acknowledged as their commander Otanes
the father of Amestris the wife of Xerxes. Now these were called by the
Hellenes in ancient time Kephenes; by themselves however and by their
neighbours they were called Artaians: but when Perseus, the son of
Danae and Zeus, came to Kepheus the son of Belos 58 and took to wife
his daughter Andromeda, there was born to them a son to whom he gave
the name Perses, and this son he left behind there, for it chanced that
Kepheus had no male offspring: after him therefore this race was named.
62. The Medes served in the expedition equipped in precisely the same
manner; for this equipment is in fact Median and not Persian: and the
Medes acknowledged as their commander Tigranes an Achaimenid. These
in ancient time used to be generally called Arians; but when Medea the
Colchian came from Athens to these Arians, they also changed their name.
Thus the Medes themselves report about themselves. The Kissians served
with equipment in other respects like that of the Persians, but instead
of the felt caps they wore fillets: 59and of the Kissians Anaphes
the son of Otanes was commander. The Hyrcanians were armed like the
Persians, acknowledging as their leader Megapanos, the same who after
these events became governor of Babylon.
63. The Assyrians served with helmets about their heads made of bronze
or plaited in a Barbarian style which it is not easy to describe; and
they had shields and spears, and daggers like the Egyptian knives, 60
and moreover they had wooden clubs with knobs of iron, and corslets of
linen. These are by the Hellenes called Syrians, but by the Barbarians
they have been called always 61 Assyrians: [among these were the
Chaldeans]: 62 and the commander of them was Otaspes the son of
Artachaies.
64. The Bactrians served wearing about their heads nearly the same
covering as the Medes, and having native bows of reed and short spears.
The Scaran Scythians had about their heads caps 63 which were carried
up to a point and set upright and stiff; and they wore trousers, and
carried native bows and daggers, and besides this axes of the kind
called sagaris. These were called Amyrgian Sacans, being in fact
Scythians; for the Persians call all the Scythians Sacans: and of the
Bactrians and Sacans the commander was Hystaspes, the son of Dareios and
of Atossa the daughter of Cyrus.
65. The Indians wore garments made of tree-wool, and they had bows
of reed and arrows of reed with iron points. Thus were the Indians
equipped; and serving with the rest they had been assigned to
Pharnazathres the son of Artabates.
66. The Arians 64 were equipped with Median bows, and in other respects
like the Bactrians: and of the Arians Sisamnes the son of Hydarnes was
in command. The Parthians and Chorasmians and Sogdians and Gandarians
and Dadicans served with the same equipment as the Bactrians. Of these
the commanders were, Artabazos the son of Pharnakes of the Parthians and
Chorasmians, Azanes the son of Artaios of the Sogdians, and Artyphios
the son of Artabanos of the Gandarians and Dadicans. The Caspians
served wearing coats of skin 65 and having native bows of reed and short
swords: 66 thus were these equipped; and they acknowledged as their
leader Ariomardos the brother of Artyphios. The Sarangians were
conspicuous among the rest by wearing dyed garments; and they had
boots reaching up to the knee, and Median bows and spears: of these
the commander was Pherendates the son of Megabazos. The Pactyans
were wearers of skin coats 67 and had native bows and daggers: these
acknowledged as their commander Artaÿntes the son of Ithamitres.
68. The Utians and Mycans and Paricanians were equipped like the
Pactyans: of these the commanders were, Arsamenes the son of Dareios
of the Utians and Mycans, and of the Paricanians Siromitres the son of
Oiobazos.
69. The Arabians wore loose mantles 68 girt up, and they carried
at their right side bows that bent backward 69 of great length. The
Ethiopians had skins of leopards and lions tied upon them, and bows made
of a slip 70 of palm-wood, which were of great length, not less than
four cubits, and for them small arrows of reed with a sharpened stone at
the head instead of iron, the same stone with which they engrave seals:
in addition to this they had spears, and on them was the sharpened horn
of a gazelle by way of a spear-head, and they had also clubs with knobs
upon them. Of their body they used to smear over half with white, 71
when they went into battle, and the other half with red. 72 Of the
Arabians and the Ethiopians who dwelt above Egypt the commander was
Arsames, the son of Dareios and of Artystone, the daughter of Cyrus,
whom Dareios loved most of all his wives, and had an image made of her
of beaten gold.
70. Of the Ethiopians above Egypt and of the Arabians the commander, I
say, was Arsames; but the Ethiopians from the direction of the sunrising
(for the Ethiopians were in two bodies) had been appointed to serve with
the Indians, being in no way different from the other Ethiopians, but in
their language and in the nature of their hair only; for the Ethiopians
from the East are straight-haired, but those of Libya have hair more
thick and woolly than that of any other men. These Ethiopians from Asia
were armed for the most part like the Indians, but they had upon their
heads the skin of a horse's forehead flayed off with the ears and the
mane, and the mane served instead of a crest, while they had the ears of
the horse set up straight and stiff: and instead of shields they used to
make defences to hold before themselves of the skins of cranes.
71. The Libyans went with equipments of leather, and they used javelins
burnt at the point. These acknowledged as their commander Massages the
son of Oarizos.
72. The Paphlagonians served with plaited helmets upon their heads,
small shields, and spears of no great size, and also javelins and
daggers; and about their feet native boots reaching up to the middle of
the shin. The Ligyans and Matienians and Mariandynoi and Syrians served
with the same equipment as the Paphlagonians: these Syrians are called
by the Persians Cappadokians. Of the Paphlagonians and Matienians the
commander was Dotos the son of Megasidros, and of the Mariandynoi and
Lygians and Syrians, Gobryas, who was the son of Dareios and Artystone.
73. The Phrygians had an equipment very like that of the Paphlagonians
with some slight difference. Now the Phrygians, as the Macedonians say,
used to be called Brigians during the time that they were natives of
Europe and dwelt with the Macedonians; but after they had changed into
Asia, with their country they changed also their name and were called
Phrygians. The Armenians were armed just like the Phrygians, being
settlers from the Phrygians. Of these two together the commander was
Artochmes, who was married to a daughter of Dareios.
74. The Lydians had arms very closely resembling those of the Hellenes.
Now the Lydians were in old time called Medonians, and they were named
again after Lydos the son of Atys, changing their former name. The
Mysians had upon their heads native helmets, and they bore small shields
and used javelins burnt at the point. These are settlers from the
Lydians, and from mount Olympos they are called Olympienoi. Of
the Lydians and Mysians the commander was Artaphrenes the son of
Artaphrenes, he who invaded Marathon together with Datis.
75. The Thracians served having fox-skins upon their heads and tunics
about their body, with loose mantles of various colours thrown round
over them; and about their feet and lower part of the leg they wore
boots of deer-skin; and besides this they had javelins and round
bucklers and small daggers. These when they had crossed over into Asia
came to be called Bithynians, but formerly they were called, as they
themselves report, Strymonians, since they dwelt upon the river Strymon;
and they say that they were driven out of their abode by the Teucrians
and Mysians. Of the Thracians who lived in Asia the commander was
Bassakes the son of Artabanos.
76.... 73 and they had small shields of raw ox-hide, and each man
carried two hunting-spears of Lykian workmanship. 74 On their heads they
wore helmets of bronze, and to the helmets the ears and horns of an ox
were attached, in bronze, and upon them also there were crests; and the
lower part of their legs was wrapped round with red-coloured strips of
cloth. Among these men there is an Oracle of Ares.
77. The Meonian Cabelians, who are called Lasonians, had the same
equipment as the Kilikians, and what this was I shall explain when in
the course of the catalogue I come to the array of the Kilikians. The
Milyans had short spears, and their garments were fastened on with
buckles; some of them had Lykian bows, and about their heads they had
caps made of leather. Of all these Badres the son of Hystanes was in
command.
78. The Moschoi had wooden caps upon their heads, and shields and small
spears, on which long points were set. The Tibarenians and Macronians
and Mossynoicoi served with equipment like that of the Moschoi, and
these were arrayed together under the following commanders,--the Moschoi
and Tibarenians under Ariomardos, who was the son of Dareios and
of Parmys, the daughter of Smerdis son of Cyrus; the Macronians and
Mossynoicoi under Artaÿctes the son of Cherasmis, who was governor of
Sestos on the Hellespont.
79. The Mares wore on their heads native helmets of plaited work, and
had small shields of hide and javelins; and the Colchians wore wooden
helmets about their heads, and had small shields of raw ox-hide and
short spears, and also knives. Of the Mares and Colchians the commander
was Pharandates the son of Teaspis. The Alarodians and Saspeirians
served armed like the Colchians; and of these the commander was
Masistios the son of Siromitres.
80. The island tribes which came with the army from the Erythraian Sea,
belonging to the islands in which the king settles those who are called
the "Removed," 75 had clothing and arms very like those of the Medes. Of
these islanders the commander was Mardontes the son of Bagaios, who in
the year after these events was a commander of the army at Mykale and
lost his life in the battle.
81. These were the nations which served in the campaign by land and had
been appointed to be among the foot-soldiers. Of this army those who
have been mentioned were commanders; and they were the men who sit it in
order by divisions and numbered it and appointed commanders of thousands
and commanders of tens of thousands, but the commanders of hundreds and
of tens were appointed by the commanders of ten thousands; and there
were others who were leaders of divisions and nations.
82. These, I say, who have been mentioned were commanders of the army;
and over these and over the whole army together that went on foot there
were in command Mardonios the son of Gobryas, Tritantaichmes the son of
that Artabanos who gave the opinion that they should not make the march
against Hellas, Smerdomenes the son of Otanes (both these being sons of
brothers of Dareios and so cousins of Xerxes), 76 Masistes the son of
Dareios and Atossa, Gergis the son of Ariazos, and Megabyzos the son of
Zopyros.
83. These were generals of the whole together that went on foot,
excepting the ten thousand; and of these ten thousand chosen Persians
the general was Hydarnes the son of Hydarnes; and these Persians
were called "Immortals," because, if any one of them made the number
incomplete, being overcome either by death or disease, another man was
chosen to his place, and they were never either more or fewer than
ten thousand. Now of all the nations, the Persians showed the greatest
splendour of ornament and were themselves the best men. They had
equipment such as has been mentioned, and besides this they were
conspicuous among the rest for great quantity of gold freely used; and
they took with them carriages, and in them concubines and a multitude
of attendants well furnished; and provisions for them apart from the
soldiers were borne by camels and beasts of burden.
84. The nations who serve as cavalry are these; not all however supplied
cavalry, but only as many as here follow:--the Persians equipped in the
same manner as their foot-soldiers, except that upon their heads some of
them had beaten-work of metal, either bronze or iron.
85. There are also certain nomads called Sagartians, Persian in race
and in language and having a dress which is midway between that of the
Persians and that of the Pactyans. These furnished eight thousand horse,
and they are not accustomed to have any arms either of bronze or of iron
excepting daggers, but they use ropes twisted of thongs, and trust to
these when they go into war: and the manner of fighting of these men is
as follows:--when they come to conflict with the enemy, they throw the
ropes with nooses at the end of them, and whatsoever the man catches by
the throw, 77 whether horse or man, he draws to himself, and they being
entangled in toils are thus destroyed.
86. This is the manner of fighting of these men, and they were arrayed
next to the Persians. The Medes had the same equipment as their men
on foot, and the Kissians likewise. The Indians were armed in the same
manner as those of them who served on foot, and they both rode horses
78 and drove chariots, in which were harnessed horses or wild asses. The
Bactrians were equipped in the same way as those who served on foot,
and the Caspians likewise. The Libyans too were equipped like those who
served on foot, and these also all drove chariots. So too the Caspians
79 and Paricanians were equipped like those who served on foot, and they
all rode on camels, which in swiftness were not inferior to horses.
87. These nations alone served 80 as cavalry, and the number of the
cavalry proved to be eight myriads, 81 apart from the camels and the
chariots. Now the rest of the cavalry was arrayed in squadrons, but the
Arabians were placed after them and last of all, for the horses could
not endure the camels, and therefore they were placed last, in order
that the horses might not be frightened.